Labeling machine



y 30, 1957 R. R. DELLA VlTE 3,322,597

LABELING MACHINE Filed Nov. 4 1963 3 sh m 1 INVENTOR RR. DELLA WTF AGENT May 30, 1967 R. R. DELLA vrrE 3,322,597

, LABELING MACHINE Filed Nov. 4, 1963 s sheets-sheet 2 INVE'NWB R. R. DELLA V/TE AGENT y 30, 1967 I R. R. DELLA VITE 3,322,597

LABELING MACHINE Filed Nov. 4, 1963 s Sheets-Sheet 5 niVENTOR R.R. DELLA VITE GENT.

United States Iatent' O ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A transfer mechanism for withdrawing labels individually from a magazine and delivering them to a labelapplying head in a gummed state having a transfer roller provided with a plurality of circumferential lands separated by peripheral grooves and contacting a gumming roller, a pick-up roller being disposed between this trans fer roller and the magazines for supplying the labels to the transfer roller. The presence of a label on the transfer roller is sensed by a finger riding in one of the grooves and a pressure finger is thereupon activated to hold the label against the gum-coated land. The pick-up roller has a plurality of annular ridges received within the grooves and between the lands of the pick-up rolls, while suction openings are provided along these ridges and in line with the grooves of the transfer roller to facilitate delivery of the labels to the latter and their release from the pick-up roller.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 120,236 filed June 28,

1961, now US. Patent No. 3,196,070 granted July 20, i

This invention relates to labeling machines.

In my US. Patent No. 3,196,070, corresponding to French Patent No. 1,305,394, there is disclosed a machine comprising at least two label hoppers, two semi-rotary pick-up rollers in positions corresponding to the two hoppers, means for producing an alternating motion in each of the said rollers in turn, an intermediate roller continuously rotating on a fixed spindle and on which the pick-up rollers deposit their labels in turn, a gumming roller which takes the labels off the intermediate roller; and a transfer mechanism, which transfers the labels to a labeling head so that they may thence be stuck on bottles.

The present invention consists in a machine for applying a label to an article comprising at least one storage hopper for the labels, a transfer roller for successively transporting labels from said hopper directly to a gumming roller, means for depositing gum on that surface of the gumming roller which engages with the label whereby the gum is applied to said label, and a transfer mechanism for transferring said gummed label from the gumming roller to a said article.

In particular the gumming roller serves as a combination roller executing the function of both a transfer and a gumming medium.

The particular distinguishing feature of the machine to which the invention relates is the fact that the intermediate roller and the gumming roller are replaced by a single combination roller which simultaneously fulfills the functions of both, this combination roller being associated in one embodiment with an automatic pressure device for supporting the label for gumming.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention the -or each transfer or pick-up roller is so designed that when there are no labels to be transferred to the combination roller, there issubstantially no risk of fouling the transfer or pick-up roller with gum.

The manner in which the combination roller is mounted and details of the design of the automatic pressure device and pick-up rollers will become evident from the following description, considered, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a diargammatic plan view of a machine according to this invention;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are diagrammatic perspective views of the label pressing device associated with the combination roller;

FIGURES 4a and 4b are complementary perspective views of the mechanical links between the drives of the pick-up rollers, the combination roller and of the heat which transfers the labels to the bottles or other articles to be labeled;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic perspective drawing showing how a pick-up roller is mounted in relation to the combination roller, the gumming rollers and the labeling head;

FIGURE 6 is a partial elevation, showing side-by-side a pick-up roller and the combination roller; and

FIGURE 7 is a section along the line VIIVII in FIG- URE 6.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the appartaus comprises two label hoppers 1 and -2 and two pick-up rollers 3 and 4, mounted for oscillatory motion, which simultaneously transfer labels from hoppers 1 and 2 to a combination roller 5, this roller constituting both an intermediate transfer roller and a gumming roller. The simultaneous operation of the two pick-up rollers will be more evident later, with reference to FIGURE 4.

An automatic label-pressing device 6, the action of which is controlled by the passage of the label itself lies adjacent the roller 5. The combination roller 5 has a plurality of annular raised lands 5a which are coated, while rotating, by an intermediate gumming roller 7 with which they are in contact, the roller 7 being itself in contact with a gum-feed roller 8 associated with a glue container 9. A head 10 transfers the labels to container, e.g. bottles, and comprises eight suction heads, by way of example (see said patent).

Pick-up rollers 3 and 4 feed the labels directly to the combination roller 5 which gums the labels and transfers them to the head 10, without the intervention of an intermediate roller, by a combing action.

Combination roller 5 is shown in greater detail, together with the label-pressing device, in FIGURES 2 and 3. This combination roller has a succession of raised bands 5a with intermediate grooves 5b, the gum being deposited simultaneously on the faces of all the hands by the gumming roller 7. A label is shown at position 11a in FIGURE 2 where it has not yet reached the device 6. This label, coming from one of the two pick-up rollers 3 or 4, is initially deposited on the gumrned face of bands 5a without any pressure, so that although the label is retained on the combination roller, no substantial quantity of gum adheres to the paper. It is the function of the device 6, in point of fact, to provide the necessary pressure for the label to pick up an adequate coating of gum. The principle of the device lies in that it is the passage of the label itself which causes it to be pressed to the combination roller. To ensure this, the pressing device has two vertical spindles 12 and 13 which can revolve on their own axes. Spindle 12 has a number of fingers 14 having slightly curved free ends which normally enter grooves 512, under the action of an elastic force-producing means (not shown). The unit which carries the fingers 14 also has a stop 15.

Spindle 13 has a number of fingers 16 which also have slightly curved free ends, these free ends being situated opposite corresponding ones of the cylindrical bands 5a.

Fingers 16 are extended rearwards by extensions 1611, at least one of these extensions carrying a stop 17, located opposite to, and in contact with, the stop 15. In the position shown in FIGURE 2 the curved ends of fingers 16 are not in contact with the bands 5a.

When roller 5, rotating in the direction of arrow 18, brings the label into position 11b in FIGURE 3, the paper label extending between two bands 5a pushes fingers 14 in the direction of arrow 19 and stop 15 pushes stop 17 in the direction of arrow 20. The ends of fingers 16 are thus pushed in the opposite direction, namely in the direction of arrow 21, whence they come into contact with the label which they hold against bands 5a with sufficient pressure to enable the gum to be effectively applied to the under face of the label.

In FIGURES 4a and 4b there are shown spindles 3a and 4a of the label pick-up rollers 3 and 4, roller 3 being in the engaged position, and roller 4 being disengaged. This is merely for convenience of description, since in fact the pick-up rollers, spaced apart by 90 about the spindle of roller 5, operate simultaneously, that is to say that they pick up a label simultaneously from each of the corresponding hoppers and deposit them simultaneously on roller 5.

To effect this mode of operation the diameter of each pick-up roller is one-quarter of the diameter of the combination roller 5, so that, while this combination roller makes one whole turn, the pick-up rollers twice deposit two labels simultaneously, making four labels in all.

Gearwheels 3b and 4b are secured to the ends of the spindles 3a, 4a, respectively, and lie opposite edentate wheels (sector gears) 22 and 23 rigidly fixed to a spindle 24 keyed to the spindle of combination roller 5, a drive gearwheel 25 being provided for driving the combination roller 5. The links carrying the oscillatory pick-up rollers 3 and 4 are articulated about vertical spindles 26 and 27, the maximum amplitude of oscillation of the spindles 3a and 411 being indicated by the chain lines, one limit corresponding to the positions in which a label is picked up from the label hoppers and the other to the positions of transfer to the combination roller 5. A disengagement cam 28 is operative upon a throw-out lever 29, the cam acting on a cam follower 30 on one arm of this lever. The lever 29 is pivotable about spindle 31 and carries at its other end a stop roller 32 which can drop into a notch 33 in a cam 34 which is rigidly mounted on spindle 4a. Roller 32 accurately stops the rotation of one turn of the pick-up roller 4 when the last tooth of the edentate Wheel 23 breaks contact with the teeth on pinion 412. At that moment, a cam 35a bearing against a cam follower 4c, pushes the pick-up roller as a whole towards the label hopper, the roller being locked against rotation by the pressure of roller 32 in notch 33. As the pick-up roller returns to deposit the label on the combination roller 5,

the profile of cam 35a allows pinion 4b to mesh again with wheel 23. At the moment of engagement, a projection on the disengagement cam 28 thrusts away the follower 30 and liberates roller 32 so that the pick-up roller 4 is freed for rotation. I

Similar arrangements are provided for the simultaneous drive of the spindle 3a of roller 3, a cam 3512 being in contact with a cam follower 3c, for the drive of roller 3. The freeing of roller 3 for rotation is effected in the same way, and at the same time, as roller 4 by the action of the disengagement cam 28 on another throw-out lever (not shown), similar to lever 29. The cam 28 has in fact four projections around it, set at 90 intervals, two successive projections acting simultaneously on the two throw-out levers 29.

A drive gearwheel 36 is provided for driving the plate of labeling head 10.

FIGURE 5 again shows the combination roller 5, gumming rollers 7 and 8 and the labeling head 10. In this figure however, one of the pick-up rollers 3 has been drawn in greater detail.

Reference will now be made to FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 in describing the special arrangements adopted for the pick-up rollers 3. Each of these has a partially cylindrical surface 37 which, at levels corresponding to those of the grooves 5b in combination roller 5, is provided with ribs 38, the width of which is less than that of the grooves 51) by at least several millimeters.

The position of maximum approach of the pick-up rollers in relation to the combination roller is such that the outer faces of the pick-up rollers and of the combination roller is at most tangential.

The surface 37 has a fiat or land 39, which interrupts the continuity of ribs 38. At the points where these ribs are interrupted, suction heads 40 are provided. There are thus as many suction heads 40 as there are ribs 38. The radial distance :1 (FIGURE 7) is less than the radius of rib 38. Hence, the diameter of the orifice of a suction head 40 can be greater than the space between two bands 5a in roller 5, since this suction head does not come into contact with the face of the bands or grooves in this roller 5. Since the suction is thereby greater and since there is no risk of gum fouling the suction heads, greater reliance can be placed on the suction when the labels are being picked up. Supplementary label-pick-up holes 41 open into the face of ribs 38, the intention being that these supplementary holes shall still hold the label to the pickup roller after the leading edge of the label has been picked up by combination roller 5 at the moment when the vacuum is relieved simultaneously from all the suction heads 40.

The arrangements described above thus eliminate any risk that the pick-up rollers might be gummed should they accidentally approach the combination roller without any label.

The form of construction described above may of course be modified within the scope of the invention. In particular, the pick-up rollers could be at an angular setting different from so long as the position of the cams and edentate wheels was altered accordingly. In that case, cam 28 would have to be duplicated and its profile changed. The number of gumming rollers may also be changed in order to speed-up the labeling but in that case the length of the label would need to be reduced accordingly. Contrariwise, by using only one pick-up roller and keeping the combination roller the same size, one could afiix labels of twice the length of those acceptable when using two pick-up rollers, for instance, labels extending completely around the bottle could be used.

I claim:

1. In a labeling machine, a device for receiving a succession of labels from a magazine and delivering them after gurnming to a label-applying head, comprising:

(a) a gumming-transfer roller rotatable about an axis and adapted to deliver gummed labels to said head, said roller having at least one circumferential groove flanked by at least one pair of lands;

(b) gum-applicator means engaging the lands of said roller for coating same with a film of gum;

(c) pick-up means for receiving labels from the magazine and delivering them to said roller whereby the labels adhere to the gum-coated lands; and

(d) pressing means engageable with the labels carried by said roller prior to its delivery to said head for holding it against said lands, said pressing means including sensing means responsive to the presence of a label on said roller, pressure means juxtaposed with at least one of said lands, and mechanism coupling said sensing means with said pressure means for urging said pressure means against a label carried by said roller upon the sensing of the label.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes a sensing finger riding in said groove and engageable by a leading edge of a label carried by said roller for displacement thereby, said pressure means including a pressure finger juxtaposed with at least one of said lands, said mechanism coupling said fingers for urging said pressure finger against a label carried by said roller upon the detection of the label by said sensing finger.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said fingers are each provided with respective spindles swingab-le about respective axes parallel to the axis of said roller, said mechanism including a lever arm on at least one of said spindles engageable with a lever arm on the other of said spindles for mutual movement of said spindles in opposite senses.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein the spindle carrying said pressing finger is provided with a number of such fingers each juxtaposed with a respective land of said roller, each of said fingers having a respective free end curving away from said roller.

5. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said pick-up means includes a pick-up roller rotatable about an axis parallel to that of said gumming-transfer roller and having respective circumferential ridges projecting into the grooves and between the lands of said gumming-transfer roller, said pick-up roller being further provided with at least one suction port circumferentially aligned with a respective ridge for temporarily retaining a label upon said pick-up roller.

6. In a labeling machine, a device for receiving a succession of labels from a magazine and delivering them after gumming to a label-applying head, comprising:

(a) a gumming-transfer roller rotatable about an axis and adapted to deliver gurnmed labels to said head, said roller having at least one circumferential groove flanked by at least one pair of lands;

(b) gum-applicator means engaging the lands of said roller for coating same with a filrn of gum; and

(c) pick-up means for receiving labels from the magazine and delivering them to said roller whereby the labels adhere to the gum-coated lands thereof, said pick-up means including a pick-up roller rotatable about an axis parallel to that of said gumming-transfer roller and having respective circumferential ridges projecting into the grooves and between the lands of said gumrning-transfer roller, said pick-up roller being further provided with at least one suction port circumferentially aligned with a respective ridge for temporarily retaining a label upon said pick-up roller.

7. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said pick-up roller is formed with a fiat along a generatrix, a plurality of said suction ports being provided in axially spaced relationship along said flat in circumferential alignment with said ridges.

8. A device as defined in claim 7 wherein said suction ports have relatively large cross-sections, said pick-up roller being provided with suction apertures of relatively small cross-sections in said ridges.

9. A device as defined in claim 7 further comprising pressure means engageable with the labels carried by said roller prior to its delivery to said head for holding it against said lands, said pressure means including sensing means responsive to the presence of a label on said roller, pressure means juxtaposed with at least one of said lands, and mechanism coupling said sensing means with said pressure means for urging said pressure means against a label carried by said roller upon the sensing of the leading edge of the label by said sensing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,703,660 3/1955 Von Hofe et a1. 156-571 XR 2,717,711 9/1955 Banks 156571 XR 3,196,070 7/1965 Della Vite 156-571 EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

M. L. KATZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A LABELING MACHINE, A DEVICE FOR RECEIVING A SUCCESSION OF LABELS FROM A MAGAZINE AND DELIVERING THEM AFTER GUMMING TO A LABEL-APPLYING HEAD, COMPRISING: (A) A GUMMING-TRANSFER ROLLER ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS AND ADAPTED TO DELIVER GUMMED LABELS TO SAID HEAD, SAID ROLLER HAVING AT LEAST ONE CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE FLANKED BY AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF LANDS; (B) GUM-APPLICATOR MEANS ENGAGING THE LANDS OF SAID ROLLER FOR COATING SAME WITH A FILM OF GUM; (C) PICK-UP MEANS FOR RECEIVING LABELS FROM THE MAGAZINE AND DELIVERING THEM TO SAID ROLLER WHEREBY THE LABELS ADHERE TO THE GUM-COATED LANDS; AND (D) PRESSING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE LABELS CARRIED BY SAID ROLLER PRIOR TO ITS DELIVERY TO SAID HEAD FOR HOLDING IT AGAINST SAID LANDS, SAID PRESSING MEANS INCLUDING SENSING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF A LABEL ON SAID ROLLER, PRESSURE MEANS JUXTAPOSED WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID LANDS, AND MECHANISM COUPLING SAID SENSING MEANS WITH SAID PRESSURE MEANS FOR URGING SAID PRESSURE MEANS AGAINST A LABEL CARRIED BY SAID ROLLER UPON THE SENSING OF THE LABEL. 